# Khliabnikov — The Duel character guide

> Khliabnikov in The Duel by Aleksandr Kuprin.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the wretched Khliabnikov

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

A terrified, tongue-tied soldier so broken by drill and abuse that he cannot even stammer out his rank, becoming the living image of the army's cruelty.

## Who they are

Khliabnikov is the regiment's most pitiable figure, a soldier whose spirit has been crushed so thoroughly that he can barely speak when ordered to recite his rank. Officers like Shapovalenko grind their teeth at his stupidity, and he is punished with extra drills and private instruction that only deepen his misery. Romashov's pity for him becomes one of the novel's sharpest moral indictments, a mirror of the human cost hidden beneath the parade ground's polished surface.

## Relationships

### [Sublieutenant Romashov](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/characters/sublieutenant_romashov)

_psychological_

Khliabnikov is a bullied soldier whom Romashov pityingly tries to protect, reflecting Romashov's own vulnerability.

### [Sublieutenant Romashov](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/characters/sublieutenant_romashov)

_psychological_

Khliabnikov is a bullied soldier whom Romashov pityingly tries to protect, reflecting Romashov's own vulnerability.

### [Sublieutenant Romashov](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/characters/sublieutenant_romashov)

_psychological_

Khliabnikov is a bullied soldier whom Romashov pityingly tries to protect, reflecting Romashov's own vulnerability.

## In the story

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/chapters/xiv)

Beaten by Ensign Rynda; Romashov sees their fates as linked, both cripples arousing compassion and disgust.

### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/chapters/xv)

Found wandering bareheaded and beaten, with a disfigured face; Romashov recognizes him as a fellow sufferer.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/chapters/xvi)

Khliabnikov is a pitiful soldier who struggles to answer questions during drill, facing harsh treatment from noncommissioned officers.

### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/chapters/xvii)

A wretched soldier who visits Romashov; his sad family circumstances and brutal treatment by the military system are revealed.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/characters/khliabnikov
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duel_2_se/characters